Just thought to get some life to this forum again, not sure how many others are here with me, but here goes anyway. Quite recently, I got a phonecall from one of the chief editors of the weekly magazine of all the parishes in Oulu Evangelical-Lutheran Church, who asked whether I was willing to be interviewed about my interest towards Celtic music & Celtic Christianity. Of course I said yes, so we set up an appointment to a church that is about 250 metres away from my home. Obviously I was asked to wear my Irish/Celtic-style outfit as well as bring along my tinwhistles, so that's what I did. During the interview, I was asked how I found Celtic music & culture in general (as well as Celtic Christianity), how I started to play the tinwhistles, how I ended up becoming part of our annual Celtic Mass and how the outfit did come about. After this I then demoed the sound of the tinwhistles, and of course we had a short photo session as well.
As the article is written in Finnish, I have made a translation of what's being said in the article, so thought to put it here for you to read (some of you might have seen this translation also at Enya's Unity though):
Christ in everythingSuvi Kaikkonen became interested in Celtic Christianity ”with music first”, just as she describes.
She has been playing the flute since the lower level of basic school, and since the time of her senior high school she has been a fan of a very popular Irish singer Enya and her unique music.
She was so interested in Irish music that she has seen the Irish music group Clannad live in concert in Helsinki already twice. A couple of years ago she was delighted to be photographed together with the band’s musicians.
While listening to Irish music, the flute playing girl often thought whether it would be harder to play the tinwhistles rather than a traditional flute.
Alongside all this, Suvi had a strong desire to enliven and enrich the Sunday Masses of her home parish in Tuira. Actually, she has been doing that even since her adolescence with her flute.
”Creator of Light ,
may Your Light
bless us…”In 2001, Suvi Kaikkonen went to see a concert of classical music in Turku.
– She tells, ”Then and there the recorders really ’struck’ me”.
Not long from that, and Suvi was already playing both the recorders and the tinwhistles she had bought. Nowadays Suvi owns about twenty tinwhistles.
Suvi Kaikkonen describes Irish folk music as ”music that gets the feet tapping”.
And that very same spirit – literally- can also be found from Celtic Christianity. Especially the ”earthiness” and being close to nature are the elements that is closest to Suvi’s heart. Often, the prayers echo words such as ”light”, ”sunshine”, ”wind”, ”summer”, ”winter”.
”... the blessing of the daylight,
the blessing of the sunshine,
The blessing of the Light of Christ …”Around five years ago, Suvi Kaikkonen went to see a Celtic Mass for the first time in St. Luke’s Chapel in Oulu. Even that struck her immediately.
Among others, Suvi admires one prayer that is part of the Celtic Mass, an ancient ”Circle Of Protection” prayer. During that, the prayers quietly turn themselves to each of the main directions of the wind.
By doing that, those who pray ”draw” a wall of a protective prayer around the praying people by leaving all things to God; good ones, bad ones and hidden, sacred ones still in the darkness.
Soon after her first Celtic Mass experience, Suvi herself was taking part to the Celtic Mass in her home parish as a musician. ”Nowadays, Celtic Mass is held in Tuira parish at least once a year, usually on St. Michael’s Day”, tells Suvi.
During those Masses, the flute player wears an Irish-style, satin outfit, tailoed by herself and her mother.
”Banish the darkness
from our way,
so that we can walk on
as children of light.”Suvi Kaikkonen shows her collection of Irish-made Celtic jewellery, among others her beloved claddagh cross pendant. According to her, this particular piece of jewellery combines all the most important virtues of a human:
– Hands of Friendship, Crown of Faithfulness, Heart of Love, she tells.
– Often, a claddagh cross is given as a wedding gift. It’s almost not a wonder; with friendship, faithfulness and love one can get on well, she smiles.
Suvi Kaikkonen harbours a dream of travelling to the British Isles, to the source of Celtic Christianity. There, she could even easily get company of the Ancient Celts with their myths and stories.
– The Celts travelled a lot, and learned to live depending on Christ only, tells Ms. Kaikkonen, and recalls the following Celtic prayer known by many:
"May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."-article ends-
The original article with some photos can be seen here:
http://www.rauhantervehdys.fi/cgi-bin/linnea.pl?document=00011868 , also, the pdf version (with slightly different photos) can be found here (scroll on to page 8 for the article):
http://www.rauhantervehdys.fi/liitteet/rauhantervehdys-00011856-1.pdfHappy reading!
Suvi
by Macha » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:11 pm 
And on Saturday I'll take the train to Celle and visit him for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Maybe he'll accompany his father, when he - my (almost) father-in-law takes my boyfriend with the car to the station to meet me.
